'2025 was a landmark year': Northern Ireland deals help drive over £43million BGF investment
Among the year’s highlights was BGF’s first Northern Ireland investment under its £300 million Invest in Women Taskforce pledge, backing CWC Group, a family-owned specialist care provider headquartered in County Down
BGF, the UK and Ireland’s most active growth capital investor, has marked another strong year of expansion after investing more than €50 million across the island of Ireland in 2025, with Northern Ireland businesses playing a key role in its activity.
The investment total includes funding for five new companies as well as follow-on capital for existing portfolio businesses, supporting scale-up strategies across the technology, business services, healthcare and industrial sectors.
BGF operates from offices in Belfast, Dublin and Cork and has now deployed over €260 million into more than 30 companies across Ireland since entering the market, underlining its long-term commitment to regional economic growth.
Among the year’s highlights was BGF’s first Northern Ireland investment under its £300 million Invest in Women Taskforce pledge, backing CWC Group, a family-owned specialist care provider headquartered in County Down.
The firm also announced two successful exits in 2025, including Braidwater Group, a leading residential housebuilder with a strong Northern Ireland presence, and AuditComply, a fast-growing software company. Further exits are anticipated in 2026.
Elsewhere, BGF made its first investments in Cork, backing Granite Digital, Ireland’s largest digital agency, and ClearSphere, a provider of cleanroom and containment solutions. Other new investments included Dublin-based accountancy and tax services firm Ecovis. Follow-on funding was also provided to existing portfolio companies such as Nuada, a next-generation carbon capture business.
Looking ahead, BGF said it expects strong pipeline conversion in 2026, building on the momentum of last year and its continued focus on minority, patient capital and long-term value creation. The firm is part of a wider UK and Ireland commitment to invest £3 billion over the next five years.
Commenting on the year, Leo Casey, Head of Ireland and Partner at BGF, said: “2025 was a landmark year for BGF across the island of Ireland. Deploying over €50 million into ambitious businesses demonstrates the strength of the entrepreneurial ecosystem on both sides of the border and the growing appetite for patient, minority capital.
"This success reflects the contribution of our extensive and growing team, with 10 investors now working across the island of Ireland, whose care, dedication and deep local expertise have been central to such a successful year.
"Our approach goes far beyond funding – it’s about long-term partnership, strategic support, and giving founders the confidence to scale. We’re proud to have backed businesses in a wide variety of industries and look forward to building on this momentum in 2026.”